Food can straining utensil

ABSTRACT

This is a tong-like liquid expressing utensil used to remove packing fluid from a can of food product containing solid foodstuff immersed in a liquid formed as a scissor-like pair of arms joined together at a location to form a pivot each arm at rear end portion a formed half-loop finger handle while opposite of said handle the front end portion of arm formed in the opposite direction to the handle a full loop sized to a can of food forms a like-pair of jaws and handles the upper jaw fixed or made to pivot has a platen member attached as a straining disc with holes sized to fit into an opened can of food product the lower loop provides a flat surface to support the bottom of an opened can of food for compression by the upper jaw into food contents.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to kitchen utensils, and more particularly to a kitchen utensil employed to strain liquids from cans containing liquid with solid food product.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART

Despite dramatic improvements in food preservation practices, including energy efficient refrigeration, flash freezing, freeze drying, and the like, the practice of canning fish in metal cans remains a staple in the food processing industries. Indeed, canned tuna and salmon still represent nearly 90% of the fish packed in the United States. Tuna fish, in particular, is a especially popular food product world wide, as it provides an economical, wholesome low fat protein. However, as is appreciated by many, handling canned fish in the kitchen is a messy and smelly operation. This is because tuna fish is generally packed in cans in either oil or in water, and in either case there is considerable liquid that must be drained before the fish is used in a meal entree, salad, or sandwich.

In order to drain unwanted liquid from the fish can, it is customary to employ a can opener to open the top of the can and then to invert the can while holding gently squeezing the loose can lid against the fish while water and/or oil drains around the sides of the lid. Unfortunately, this invariably results in the user getting his or her hands wet or oily.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to have means to drain a food can without having the process result in messy hands.

Several solutions have been proposed, the most exemplary including:

U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,721, to Homes, which teaches a food can drainer comprising a foraminous sheet sized to fit an end of a can when the can is open at that end, with holes in the sheet sized to retain the foodstuff in the can, yet also to allow flow of the packing fluid when the can is tipped to decant the fluid. For cylindrical cans such as tuna or salmon cans, the drainer is a perforated disc that can be inserted prior to or after canning. While providing means for more rapid draining of liquid from cans, this device not eliminate the problem of messy hands.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,333,060 to DiDonato shows a container for packaging solid food that is stored in the container in a liquid environment, such as tuna fish. One end of the container has a foraminous drain lid for draining the liquid from the container. The drain lid may have a rim to prevent a user from being splashed while draining the contents of the container. The container is sealed to prevent contamination of the contents of the container. The container may be made of a flexible material so that the user may squeeze the container to facilitate draining the liquid from the container. Once the liquid has been drained from the container, the drain lid is removed to allow extraction of the solid food from the container.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,481 to Schwietert discloses a strainer for draining liquid-packed canned goods which includes a molded plastic short hollow cylinder open at the top end and closed at the bottom end with a perforated bottom wall, the strainer body sized to be slidably fit into an opened tuna fish can. A pair of flange ears at the top enable the bottom each to be pushed into the tuna to force the liquid out through the bottom wall perforations as well as a series of slots around the perimeter. The bottom wall bulges down to be convexly shaped, aiding in moving the liquid out through the slots and also allows an inverted open can of produce to drain through the perforations as the strainer is resting on a supporting surface.

U.S. Design Patent D485,136 to Golden et al., and U.S. Design Patent D459,952, to Bellander, each show strainer barriers for canned foods, but each has the same limitations as the above.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,650 to Mazzaccaro is the closest art, disclosing at it does a pair of lever units which are pivotally connected to a jaw member such that a can and lid can be pivotally suspended between the lever units during the draining process and further including a biasing unit for biasing the jaw members in a direction apart from one another.

The foregoing patents and prior art devices reflect the current state of the art of which the present inventor is aware. Reference to, and discussion of these patents is intended to aid in discharging Applicant's acknowledged duty of candor in disclosing information that may be relevant to the examination of prospective claims to the present invention. However, it is respectfully submitted that none of the above-indicated patents disclose, teach, suggest, show, or otherwise render obvious, either singly or when considered in combination, the invention described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the food can straining and draining utensil of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated therein a new and improved can straining utensil generally denominated 10 herein. FIG. 1 illustrates a first preferred embodiment of the can straining utensil of the present invention, said apparatus comprising a modified pair of food handling tongs. In the first preferred embodiment, the apparatus includes a pair of cylindrical rod arms 12 and 14, each arm having a distal portion 16, 18, a proximal portion 20, 22, and a medial portion 24, 26. The arms are pivotally connected by a pin 28 in their resective medial portions in the manner of a scissors.

In the proximal portion of each arm, a loop 30, 32 is formed in the rod to provide finger openings 30 a, 32 a, to facilitate easy manipulation and gripping.

The distal portion of each arm includes a flattened terminal finger 34, 36 having a vertically disposed face 38, 40 which includes a hole for pivotally connecting at a pivot point 42, 44, an annular palm 46, 48, shaped in the form of a lasso.

Each palm acts as a planar surface to engage and press upon one side of the can: one pressing upon the attached end, and the other pressing upon the food products

To use the inventive apparatus, a user inserts his or her fingers through the finger openings and separates the distal ends of the arms by applying a force in direction O to accommodate a food can having a severed lid. The food can is then placed between the palms and an inward pressure of sufficient force is exerted in section C to grasp and hold the can. The can is then inverted so that the opened end is on the underside, and the user squeezes arms together still more by further applying a force in direction C. In this manner a user can apply pressure with a single hand to the apparatus arms to communicate a squeezing pressure to the food can. And, while held at a small remove from the user's hand, the can drains easily into a sink or other receptacle.

The above disclosure is sufficient to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention, and provides the best mode of practicing the invention presently contemplated by the inventor. While there is provided herein a full and complete disclosure of the preferred embodiments of this invention, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction, dimensional relationships, and operation shown and described. Various modifications, alternative constructions, changes and equivalents will readily occur to those skilled in the art and may be employed, as suitable, without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. Such changes might involve alternative materials, components, structural arrangements, sizes, shapes, forms, functions, operational features or the like.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION ([0016]continued)

49 The flat platen disc with holes attached to the bottom of the upper loop-like pivoting jaw. 

1. A liquid-removing tong like implement for removing liquid from a can of food product containing solid food product immersed in liquid, comprising tongs formed a pair of scissor-like arms, transversely mounted, pivoted together at intermediate portions thereof, each arm having a finger loop formation at a handle-forming rear end portion thereof by which to manipulate the tongs, the arms having front end portions at the ends opposite said finger loop formations providing attached loop-shaped jaw formations, one loop-like formation makes up the top straining portion of which a flat platen member with holes is attached to the bottom of the upper pivoting loop and sized to fit into an opened can of food product to exert pressing forces onto the solid food product, the opposite loop-shaped jaw formation is welded solid to said arm to provide a flat surface to engage the bottom of the opened can whereby the food product may be compressed between said upper platen and the bottom of the can while the tongs hold the can to express the liquid therefrom. 